Tribune staff reports
Aquatic Control Inc. recently celebrated its 50th anniversary of business.
The celebration in Cancun, Mexico, was attended by employees and their guests.
While celebrating this momentous occasion, the company also awarded service awards to six employees. Aquatic Control currently has 41 employees with offices in Seymour, Valparaiso and Evansville in Indiana along with Truesdale, Missouri; Elizabethtown, Kentucky; and coming in 2017, Memphis, Tennessee.
Jimmy Ferguson was awarded a 10-year service award. He began his full-time employment with Aquatic Control in 2006 at the Missouri office. His primary duties then included aquatic application and installation/maintenance of fountain and aeration systems. Since transferring to the Seymour office in 2008, he continues to focus on aquatic application and plays a key role in fish management surveys and reports. He lives in Brownstown with his wife, Heather, and their two children, Olivia and Wyatt.
Barbie Huber was awarded a 15-year service award. She began her employment with the company in 2001 as a customer service representative. She has since been promoted to account service specialist. Her responsibilities in this role include answering customer calls and concerns, making chemical recommendations to customers, maintaining records of lake treatments, billing all quotes and proposals, inventory, renewing business and applicator licenses, writing and editing articles and reports, mailings and assisting all applicators and managers when needed. She lives in Brownstown with her husband, Scott, and their two children, Maddie and Sam.
Steve Lee was awarded a 15-year service award. He started with Aquatic Control in 2001 as an aquatic applicator. He also was heavily involved in DOT/HAZMAT compliance, contract proposals, lake management consulting, electrofishing surveys and installation of fountains and aeration systems. He was promoted to the manager of the Valparaiso office in January 2007. Besides managing the operation of this office, he also continues to work in the field providing services to clients in northern Indiana.
Mike Essex was awarded a 15-year service award. He began his employment with Aquatic Control Inc. in 2001 as the manager of the aquatics Kentucky operation. His responsibilities included aquatic applications, lake management consulting, fountain and aeration sales and maintenance and responsible for HAZMAT training. He soon moved into the aeration and fountain division and is certified and trained for fountain and aeration repair and service. He lives in Columbus with his wife, Leah, and their two daughters, Adria and Kylah.
Carol Hayden was awarded a 20-year service award. She started with Rust Companies LLC in 1996. She was hired by Chester and Linda Rust’s family as controller for their five companies — Rust Companies LLC, Aquatic Control, Rust Construction, Rust of Kentucky and Rust Farms LLC. She was elected to the board of directors of Aquatic Control in 1996 and holds the position of secretary/treasurer. She is responsible for managing the office and the accounting and customer service personnel. She is responsible for monthly financial statements and statements of cash flow. She also is responsible for the flow of processes that make each of the companies run smoothly. She lives in Brownstown with her husband, Tim, and their two sons, Sterling and Stuart.
Matt Johnson was awarded a 20-year service award. He started working for Aquatic Control in 1993 as a high-schooler working during the summertime. He began his full-time employment in 2000. Since then, he has been involved with many aspects of the company, including shipping, aquatic vegetation management, fish population surveys, fountain and aeration system installation, fish eradication projects, fish stocking, vegetation planting and various freshwater diving projects. In January 2004, he was promoted to sales manager. Since then, his main focus has been on the sales, support and distribution of products. He was appointed to the board of directors in November 2005 and elected vice president of sales and marketing in December 2006. In December 2015, he was elected executive vice president of Aquatic Control. He lives in Columbus with his wife, Lindsay, and their son, Drew.